23-10-2025

Month: March 2024

‘Perform or perish’: PM Shehbaz vows to ‘rid’ country of IMF bailouts

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has resolved to rid the country of foreign debts and steer the country of crises amid enormous economic challenges including mounting circular debt and inflation facing the country.

“We will get rid of IMF [International Monetary Fund] InshaAllah,” the premier said while addressing the maiden meeting of the newly formed 16-member federal cabinet on Monday.

PM Shehbaz’s statement comes as the IMF is expected to dispatch its mission to Pakistan to hold talks on the second review of $3 billion Stand-by Arrangement (SBA) programme.

In this regard, a formal invitation will be sent to the Washington-based lender soon after the formation and oath-taking of the federal cabinet and the talks are expected to begin this week, according to The News.

During the negotiations, Pakistan would also simultaneously request a fresh deal under 36-month Extended Fund Facility (EFF).

“The size of the next EFF programme has not yet been discussed and finalised but Islamabad will look into the possibility of augmenting EFF with climate finance to maximise the size of the programme from $6 billion to $8 billion,” sources told the publication.

In today’s address, referring to the challenge of rising foreign debt, PM Shehbaz said he has asked ambassadors of foreign states that he would “now not seek loans but investments” from friendly countries.

“We have to fight against poverty instead of quarrelling within,” he said.

The premier also called for ending subsidies for elites, saying there is no justification for such grants while “poor is crushed under inflation”. “The sooner we eliminate it the better it would be for the people,” he remarked.

The premier said circular debt in the gas and electricity sectors has reached Rs5 trillion and blamed the expensive imported fuels among other factors as the reason behind the increase.

Without naming any institution, he said global lenders are demanding to impose taxes on retailers who he said already bearing the brunt of the sky-inflation.

Instead, the premier said wholesalers should be brought into the tax net.

PM Shehbaz acknowledged that rising inflation is one of the major problems confronting the masses. “Bringing down inflation will be our first test,” he said adding that his government would make all-out efforts to provide relief to the people.

“A handful of elite control 90% of the country’s resources,” he said questioning what’s the point of giving subsidies to the elite.

“It now do or die. It’s now or never. Perform or perish!” he remarked.

Aghanistan seeks good relations with newly-elected Pakistan govt

KABUL: Afghanistan has emphasised maintaining relations with Pakistan, saying that it is a necessity to have improved relations with all its neighbouring countries.

Spokesperson of the Afghan government, Zabihullah Mujahid, urged the new government of Pakistan to show flexibility towards the deportation of Afghan refugees.

“First, the Islamic Emirate has always sought good relations with all its neighbours, including Pakistan, where a new government has emerged. Afghanistan also needs good relations with Pakistan.

“We want Pakistan to make good progress in various sectors with Afghanistan and ask the future government to solve all its problems,” said the spokesperson.

Last year, Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar-led caretaker government announced its decision to expel 1.1 million foreigners illegally residing in Pakistan.

Afghanistan’s Acting Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund also called for an end to what he termed the “cruel attitude of the Pakistan government authorities” towards the Afghan refugees, saying such actions created more problems rather than finding solutions to issues.

“Regarding migrants, we ask them to be flexible. They have hosted migrants for many years and from now on, they should consider Afghanistan’s relations with Pakistan until the migrants return,” Mujahid said.

He also called for Pakistan’s attention to various issues including expanding relations, addressing challenges faced by the Afghan traders and matters related to the Durand Line.

JI plans ‘million march’ against Israeli atrocities

During a function, Mr Haq said that the JI working committee discussed the prevailing political situation and the war in Gaza.

He stated that the Islamabad march would stretch from Aabpara Chowk to the US embassy, aiming to pressure Washington to cease its support for Israeli atrocities in Gaza.

Mr Haq lamented that the newly elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif did not express any support for the Palestinian brothers during his maiden speech. Mr Haq pledged to stand by the Gaza people against the atrocities committed by the Israeli forces.

“More than a million people will stage a march towards the US embassy on Friday, the 27th day of Ramazan,” he said.

However, it is yet to be confirmed whether the 27th day of Ramazan will fall on Friday.

The JI chief said that if the government does not raise the issue of the killing of about 30,000 innocent Palestinians by the brutal Israeli forces, the party will have no option but to surround the US embassy.

He said two political parties — PML-N and PPP — had ruled Pakistan mostly, and they had looted its wealth.

Mr Haq said both PML-N and PPP were responsible for the unprecedented price hikes in the country and warned them of dire consequences if the electricity bills for the month of March would be charged to the consumers of less than 300 units, as they had already promised the people that they would give 300 electricity units free of cost after coming into power.

From Dubai to Chile, Turkish series expand their empire

ISTANBUL: In the skies above Istanbul’s Tophane neighbourhood, seagulls are sent scattering by a drone that’s filming a policeman arresting a young woman on the streets below.

But it’s for a television series called “Degenler”, one of about 60 filmed annually in Turkiye that have made Istanbul and other Turkish cities familiar to viewers in nearly 170 countries around the world. Over the past 15 years, Turkiye has established itself as the foremost exporter of series after the United States and Britain.

“Latin Americans find Turkish series very close to their culture,” said Erdi Isik, development manager at Ay Yapim — Turkiye’s leading exporter last year and whose production “Yargi” (“Family Secrets”) last November won an International Emmy for best telenovela.

“When I show samples to a panel, even if they don’t understand a word of Turkish, they catch what it is about because the family culture is very much the same,” he said. Censorship constraints in Turkiye also provide more modest material, important for audiences in the Middle East and Spanish-speaking countries who are accustomed to watching soap operas as a family.

However, “we think of the Turkish market first,” he said, even though “we pick actors that can fit international expectations”, citing a list of about 20 actors that appeal to the public outside Turkiye.

“Bitter Lands”, another success story, won best telenovela of the year in South America in 2020 with its lead actress likewise crowned. Long popular in the Middle East, North Africa and the Balkans, all once ruled by the Ottoman Empire, Turkish series about history, family intrigues and thwarted love stories are now present on every continent, even in the United States where they have captured the Hispanic market.

“They are now broadcast in prime-time in Spain, Saudi Arabia and Egypt,” said Xavier Rambert, head of research and marketing at Glance, an audience measurement company in London, who praises the “effectiveness” of Turkish productions.

“Their ability to provide masses of content at very controlled costs makes it possible to fill the programmes at reasonable prices,” he added. In total, nearly 700 million viewers enjoy “alla turca” telenovelas, according to the Turkish culture ministry.

The success is also due to the quality of the productions, said Ozlem Ozsumbul, sales director at Madd, the company which distributes series produced by Ay Yapim. “We always shoot on location”, she said.

Each episode is written and shot from one week to the next, based on a general plot which evolves to adjust to the audience. A two-hour episode can be entirely written, shot and produced in six days.

Saudi king calls for end to ‘heinous crimes’ in Gaza in Ramadan message

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has called in his Ramadan message for the international community to bring an end to the “heinous crimes” taking place in Gaza, where Israel’s war with Hamas has been raging for more than five months.

Speaking as custodian of Islam’s two holiest sites, King Salman gave thanks on Sunday for the “blessings bestowed upon the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia”, but noted the war in besieged Gaza would cast a shadow over the holy month of fasting and prayer.

“As we witness the arrival of Ramadan this year, our hearts are heavy with sorrow for the ongoing suffering of our Palestinian brothers facing relentless aggression,” he said.

“We call upon the international community to uphold its responsibilities to put an end to these heinous crimes and ensure the establishment of safe humanitarian and relief corridors.”

Gaza is in the midst of a spiralling humanitarian crisis after months of war sparked by Hamas’s unprecedented October 7 attacks on Israel.

Aid groups say only a fraction of the supplies required to meet basic humanitarian needs have been allowed into the territory since Israel placed it under a near-total siege.

There are renewed fears of violence spreading, particularly to Jerusalem, during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, as a truce remains elusive.

Hamas has reiterated a call for Palestinians to step up visits to al-Aqsa Mosque.

Israel has accused Hamas of “striving to ignite the region during Ramadan”, which begins on 11 March for Palestinians.

The third holiest shrine in Islam is a place of worship for local Muslims.

But the site – also the holiest place in Judaism, known as Temple Mount – is often a flashpoint during flare-ups in the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

Ramadan is due to begin on Monday for Palestinians with the sighting of the new moon.

Last week, the courtyards of al-Aqsa were calm as I visited, but Palestinian worshippers’ minds were on the war.

“People don’t feel like celebrating and enjoying the regular Ramadan traditions,” said one woman, Ayat, sadly. “This year, they won’t go ahead because of what’s happening in Gaza.”

Hopes that a 40-day ceasefire could take effect by the start of Ramadan have faded although Egyptian sources said mediators would again meet a Hamas delegation on Sunday to try to reach an agreement with Israel.

Israel said on Saturday that its spy chief had met with his US counterpart as it continued efforts to try to release dozens of hostages.

Afterwards the Israeli prime minister’s office released a statement saying Hamas was “holding to its position,” as if it was “uninterested in a deal.”

A framework plan being discussed would see some of the Israeli hostages snatched by Hamas in its deadly 7 October attacks released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and an increase in aid, amid UN warnings of famine.

“This Ramadan will be difficult. How will we break our daily fast and eat when we think of our compatriots in Gaza,” commented Abu Nader, who had been following the news, as he crossed al-Aqsa in his mobility scooter.

“We pray to God for better times.”

Abu Nader says breaking the daily fast will be hard given the levels of hunger in Gaza

Israeli police are always visibly dotted around the vast al-Aqsa mosque complex and have officers present at every gate, controlling access.

This weekend, thousands of police have been deployed in the Old City where tens of thousands of worshippers are expected daily at the al-Aqsa mosque.

Since Israel captured East Jerusalem, including this part of the Old City, from Jordan in the 1967 Middle East War and occupied and annexed it, the site has become a prominent symbol of the wider Palestinian struggle.

In 2000, the visit of then Israeli opposition leader, Ariel Sharon to the sacred hilltop was seen as a key trigger for the Second Palestinian Uprising, which Palestinians refer to as the “al-Aqsa Intifada”.

There are often clashes here between Israeli security forces and Palestinian worshippers, particularly during Ramadan.

Tensions also run high whenever there are Israeli nationalist marches in the Old City, and in response to calls from Israel’s far-right to change the long-established, highly sensitive religious status quo rules at the site, which permit Jewish visitors but not Jewish prayer.

In May 2021, heightened tensions in Jerusalem erupted in violence at al-Aqsa. Hamas then fired rockets at Jerusalem, leading to a short war in Gaza and widespread unrest between Jewish and Arab Israelis.

Last year, when Ramadan overlapped with the Jewish Passover holiday, reports circulated that Jewish extremists planned to carry out the ritual sacrifice of a goat on Temple Mount.

Not trusting Israeli police to prevent that, hundreds of Muslims barricaded themselves in al-Aqsa and stun grenades were used against them.

This year, Ramadan does not coincide with any major Jewish holiday.

Dr Imam Mustafa Abu Sway says people who come to al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan do so to pray, not inflame tensions

How this Ramadan plays out depends a lot on events in Gaza as well as the limitations imposed by Israel.

The far-right Israeli National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, did call for tight restrictions on Muslim Israeli citizens’ access to al-Aqsa, saying this was to stop Hamas “celebrating victory” while Israeli hostages remained captive in Gaza.

However, the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has now rejected the plan.

It is not yet clear how many people will be allowed to reach the site.

On Sunday, Israel said worshippers would be permitted entrance to Temple Mount in “similar numbers to previous years”.

It said “this month and every month” it would allow “safe and proper prayers”, urging people not to listen to false rumours.

During the Gaza war, Israel has largely blocked Palestinians from the West Bank from entering Jerusalem. Typically, large crowds would pass through Israeli military checkpoints to attend Friday prayers during this sacred month.

 

The Israeli government spokesman, Eylon Levy, insisted that the right decisions would be made to safeguard freedom of worship.

“Ramadan is often an occasion when extremist elements try to whip up and inflame violence. We are working to deter that,” he told the BBC.

“We will continue to facilitate access to the Temple Mount for worship as in previous years, make clear that is our policy and will, of course, work against anyone determined to disturb the peace.”

Next to the gold-gilded Dome of the Rock, I met Dr Imam Mustafa Abu Sway, a member of the Islamic Waqf council, which administers al-Aqsa Mosque or Haram al-Sharif, which the compound is also known as.

“A few years ago, Israel allowed practically everyone who wanted to, to come from the West Bank and there wasn’t one single incident,” the scholar said.

“People do come to worship. They don’t come to disturb the peace. If the Israeli police and security forces leave them alone, everything will, hopefully, be ok.”

This year, even more than usual, the world will be scrutinising what happens in Jerusalem, to see if that is the case.

Conservative MSP Stephen Kerr has insisted he has “no regrets” for saying Humza Yousaf may have had a conflict of interest in sending funding to Gaza.

The Scottish government gave £250,000 to the UNRWA aid agency in November 2023, while the first minister’s parents-in-law were trapped in Gaza.

Mr Kerr said it suggested Mr Yousaf was “prepared to bend the rules” if he had overridden official advice.

That led Mr Yousaf to condemn the claim as an “outrageous smear”.

He also said the decision by the Telegraph newspaper to carry the story was “an Islamophobic attack”.

The Scottish government has said that the funding decision was taken by Mr Yousaf following advice from officials.

The SNP’s deputy leader Keith Brown has now called on Rishi Sunak to block Stephen Kerr from standing as a Westminster candidate at the next general election.

‘What happened and why?’

However, Mr Kerr insisted he was absolutely right to question why the £250,000 of funding went to UNWRA when government officials had initially suggested £100,000 to £200,000 should instead go to another aid agency, Unicef.

He told BBC Scotland’s The Sunday Show: “No-one who watched the trauma that the first minister went through in those days and weeks when his family were stuck, locked, in Gaza… of course there was an issue of personal interest.

“And therefore it’s not wrong in the slightest (to challenge the first minister).

“That being the case, the question is very simple – what happened and why did it happen?”

Humza Yousaf gave the go-ahead for £250,000 to be sent to the UNRWA aid agency

Mr Yousaf posted a series of messages on social media platform X on Saturday, in which he said the newspaper story was an attempt to link him to terrorism.

He said: “Most of my political life, I’ve battled insinuations from sections of the media desperate to link me to terrorism despite campaigning my whole life against it.

“Due to my faith & race, there will always be those, particularly on the far-right, who will desperately try to “prove” my loyalties lie elsewhere. That I am a fifth columnist in the only country I call home, the country I love and the country I have the privilege of leading.”

The Scottish government said civil servants had presented funding options to the first minister “in the usual way”.

A spokesperson said: “All those options, by definition, were open to ministers to choose. The decision being sought was which option ministers wished to choose.

“The first minister made that decision in the standard way. No ministerial direction was necessary, nor was one ever sought.”

But Stephen Kerr, who sits on Holyrood’s standards committee, maintains the first minister may have breached the Scottish ministerial code.

He said: “I do not regret doing my job as a parliamentarian in scrutinising the work of the Scottish government, including the work of the first minister.

“That is why we we have parliamentarians, that is my job and I will continue doing it.”

The SNP’s deputy leader Keith Brown has said Rishi Sunak should block Stephen Kerr’s bid to become a Tory MP at the next Westminster general election.

He pointed to a recent statement the prime minister made outside 10 Downing Street in which he spoke about trying to stop hatred and division.

Mr Brown also said politicians should “know the consequences of smears like this”.

He told BBC Scotland News: “Anybody looking at the first minister’s social media timeline will see the nature of the racist abuse that he gets.

“And I think this is a scandalous way to try and misrepresent the granting of humanitarian aid to people in Gaza.

“Rishi Sunak, if he is to be taken at his word, should denounce this and should sack Stephen Kerr as a Westminster candidate. He is unfit to be so.”

UNRWA has since been at the centre of controversy surrounding Israeli accusations that members of its staff were involved in the 7 October attacks by Hamas that triggered the fighting.

Several countries, including the UK, have announced a pause in support for the relief agency while an investigation takes place after the allegations emerged in January.

However, those accusations only became known several weeks after the Scottish government funding announcement had been made.

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